Germany Books

Herf's book on "Reactionary Modernism" is important because it brings up an intellectual tradition that has been unjustly neglected since the end of WWII. Herf's "paradigm" consists of the right-wing intellectuals, Spengler, Junger, Sombart, Freyer, Schmitt and Heidegger whose main philosophical preoccupation was the impact of technology on modern civilization and the radical shift in human relations that technological progress has caused. Herf locates the peculiarity of this tradition to its love/hate relationship with modern technology. All the aforementioned thinkers realized the tremendous potential of technology but sought to integrate it within the German quasi-romantic GEIST in order to safeguard it from Bolshevism and Americanism. This analysis is complemented by a brilliant chapter on German engineers and their idea about technology and politics. Despite the original contribution of the author to the history and sociology of ideas, his analysis raises some doubts especially in relation to the chapters on Sombart and Spengler. In addition, the author neglects to point to the fact that the "suffocating" state of technology was also pointed out by Marx. Having said that, all credit to Herf who was bold enough to throw light into the "politically incorrect" aspects of German social theory and philosophy. Such attempts are useful and valuable since they put things on perspective shattering one-dimensional views about the current state of civilization. Essential reading for all those who are not afraid to search for the truth even when this is against the current!

Mr. Herf's has written a book that is well researched and fair. Too often, studies dealing with National Socialism and related idealogies lack objectivity, never revealing the full depth and breadth of the thinkers involved. Not so here. The author even points out the mistakes made by many critics in underestimating the thinkers in question.

The chapter on Ernst Junger is the most fascinating. Herf makes Junger's writings clear by placing them in the cultural milieu of the time, something important for understanding most authors, but vital for Junger. While I imagine in hindsight Junger still come off as strange to most of us, he is at least understandable now.

While I can't match the author's experience in research and reading, I remain somewhat skeptical of the extent to which the Nazis adopted reactionary modernism. Was it just a means to an end, to be abandoned once the war was won, in favor of romantic pastoralism. Why the need for lebensraum in the east if not to escape the crowded, "un-nordic" city life?

Also, I wonder if the author's reading of Heidegger isn't a bit off. While Heidegger himself may have prefered the cabin in the woods to the metropolis, I always read his anti-technological views as an attack on a technological, calculating mindset, or way of viewing the world, not as being against the machine neccesarily.

If you are attempting to understand what happened in interwar Germany then this book is worth reading. The main philosophy is that Germany attempted to combine the beauty of modernization with the romanticization of a mythological past. This book helps to explain the foundations of the Nazi regime and why it became so appealing on a mass level. At times the reading gets tough and little on the dry side, but if you can get thought that part of it, you will find the book worth your time.

_Reactionary Modernism_ deals with the way in which certain thinkers on the German Right dealt with the ideals of rationality and technological progress fostered by the Enlightenment. Thus, as distinguished from the traditional Ludditism (i.e. rejection of technology) and anti-technological focus of the traditional right, certain thinkers among the conservative revolutionaries in Germany after the First World War were able to accept the idea of technological progress while rejecting the Enlightenment ideals of rationality. These thinkers distinguished between Technik and Kultur and tried to bring Technik into the realm of Kultur and out of the realm of Zivilisation. Brought together by the experiences of the front (Fronterlebnis) during World War I, the reactionary modernists praised a masculinized ideal of technology. Such reactionary modernist thinkers including Oswald Spengler, Ernst Junger, Carl Schmitt, Martin Heidegger, Werner Sombart, and Moeller van den Bruck were precursors to fascism and national socialism (and in fact many became outright Nazis before the Second World War). _Reactionary Modernism_ focuses upon the thinking of such "conservative revolutionaries" as these thinkers as well as upon the thought of the German engineers and their understanding of capitalism and socialism and various aspects of the Third Reich and Hitler's movement. On one side were the ideals of "blood and soil" and the Volk, opposed to the modern "liberal" ideals of capitalism, communism, and modern finance. The reactionary modernists often were quite antisemitic contrasting the life blood of the German Volk with the more nefarious qualities of "Jewish finance and Bolshevism". While much of the thought of the reactionary modernists fueled the catastrophe that became the Third Reich, reactionary modernism offered a unique perspective which synthesized the aspects of Techniks and Kultur while rejecting the ideals of the Enlightenment.

A review of Jeffrey Herf's "Reactionary Modernism: Technology, culture, and politics in Weimar and the Third Reich." By Michael J. Saporito, MA History candidate, Salem State College. "Reactionary Modernism: Technology, culture, and politics in Weimar and the Third Reich." By Jeffrey Herf. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1984. pp. ix, 251.

Jeffrey Herf's Reactionary Modernism studies the complexities involved in Weimar and Nazi Germany's attempts to simultaneously modernize and antiquate their nation. Herf explores the conservative, anti-democratic groups during Weimar and how they were able to bring together the technological modernization of Germany, while at the same time rejecting almost of the liberal qualities of the Enlightenment. Herf looks to the intellectual, political writings of Juenger, Sombart and Spengler (also, Heidegger, Schmitt and Freyer) to demonstrate how the intellectual community desired to bring Germany into the modern era, while still retaining their distinct German Kultur. Other interesting sources that Herf uses to state his case are German engineering journals and the research of historian Karl-Heinz Ludwig. These sources show how German engineers were brought inline with the reactionary modernist line of thought. Herf successfully demonstrates how the synthesis of technology and German Kultur not only existed, but also thrived. Reactionary Modernism's incorporation of anti-Semitism is detailed if full. Herf explains that this explanation of modern German anti-Semitism is more solid than the version set forth by Adorno and Horkheimer in "The Dialectic of Enlightenment." Anti-democratic groups in Weimar Germany saw the Jew as the reason behind everything that was wrong with Germany. Herf's conclusions show how the Nazis became lost in their ideology and this ended up making technology that was needed for the war effort suffer. The popular myths of German technological supremacy are put to rest. a "Reactionary Modernism" is a valuable source for anyone studying Weimar, the Third Reich or the influence of the Enlightenment in totalitarian governments.

If one were to take Vikram Seth's excellent "An Equal Music" as the benchmark for books about classical music in general and quartets and their travails in particular (and I do), then this book does not quite measure up. This is not to say that it is not a good book because it is, and perhaps some of the pacing was lost in the translation from the original Hebrew. Either way, The Rosendorf Quartet is an interesting read, and like others have mentioned, it does operate on several levels, musically, historically, ideologically, psychologically, etc... The most interesting chapters are provided by the violins of the quartet, and I say this both in terms of plot progression and intellectual discussions. However, the book sputters in the last third, and the novelist's "epilogue" is a bit of a letdown.
From a more political standpoint, I can't say that the book resonated with me. As a Palestinian perhaps this is to be expected, but I did not feel that the book depicted the events of the times in a very compelling manner.
Still, "The Rosendorf Quartet" is a worthy addition to any musician's library, and is a good read. I have heard of a "sequel" to it entitled "Rosendorf's Shadow", but I'm quite sure it was not as good and was not translated into English.

This is a superbly well-written book, beautifully translated into English from the original Hebrew. It operates on many levels: nominally, it is about four displaced German-Jewish musicians, refugees from Hitler's Germany who find themselves in Palestine in 1937. Metaphorically it can be read as the power of chamber music as a common denominator among disparate personalities and fractured lives. It also offers insights into traditional European culture in the context of a pioneering social experiment in the Middle East. A riveting read. A civilising experience.

Displaced Jewish musicians from Germany, not suspeced of Zionism, find themselves in the ideologically zealous Palestine of 1937.
With the prospects of going back to Germany becoming slimmer, and the future of Jews in Palestine being shaky, they try to find condolence in music.
The personal differences between the four quartet members are intensified by the division of the novel into different parts, each one the diary of a different quartet member.
While the music making and the social surroundings are always present, the book's main merit is in presenting the personal turmoil that people undergo when uprooted from their homeland, especially one that has betrayed them.

I thought this was an intelligent and beautifully written book. No fireworks, car chases, television drama. Instead, we get intriguing characters and complex relationships. A brilliant look at Israeli society and four people trying to make music together.

This is a superbly well-written book, beautifully translated into English from the original Hebrew. It operates on many levels: nominally, it is about four displaced German-Jewish musicians, refugees from Hitler's Germany who find themselves in Palestine in 1937. Metaphorically it can be read as the power of chamber music as a common denominator among disparate personalities and fractured lives. It also offers insights into traditional European culture in the context of a pioneering social experiment in the Middle East. A riveting read. A civilising experience.

In this highly enlightening book, Michael Kellogg argues that in becoming National Socialist Germany did not follow a special path predetermined by German culture. Rather, the genesis of National Socialism must be understood within the context of German defeat of WWI and the Bolshevik Revolution. The co-occurence of these events brought Baltic German and Russian Nationists to Germany where they joined völkisch leaders and radicalized the masses. Formerly fringe anti-Semitism was joined to anti-Bolshivism and became virulent. The book sits on original research done in German and Russian archives.
Karla Poewe
Professor, University of Calgary

This is a superb book based on solid archival research in German and Russia that provides startling new insights into the ideological roots of National Socialism. It is a must read for anyone interested in understanding Nazism and the development of its ideology. Kellogg shows how the Russian Revolution affected the thinking of various Russian and Baltic intellectuals who fled to Germany where they spread their poisonous brand of anti-Semitism based on a unique mythology. I strongly recommend this book which should be read alongside Karla Poewe "New Religions and the Nazis", New York and London, Routledge, 2006. These books complement each other in a remarkable way and genuinely change our understanding of the origins and growth of Nazism.

Irving Hexham, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Calgary.

The various interconnections between Germany and Russia in contemporary history have become a recurring subject of research after the end of the Cold War. For instance, there has been a new wave of books and articles on the comparison between Nazism and Stalinism as well as on the Nazi-Soviet co-operation of 1939-1940. Another example would be the recent talk about `Weimar Russia' when interpreting post-Soviet developments.
With "The Russian Roots of Nazism", an extremely dense and well-researched text, Kellog provides an important new study on a still insufficiently explored aspect of the history of contemporary German-Russian relations. His book focuses on the years 1918-1923, and details at length the connections that a number of prominent émigrés from the former Tsarist empire had with the early Nazi elite, in general, and Adolf Hitler, in particular. The central theme of the study is the rise and fall of the short-lived, yet important émigré association Aufbau: "Wirtschaftspolitische Vereinigung für den Osten" (Reconstruction: Economic-Political Organisation for the East). With such an intriguing subject, Kellog will find many readers among historians and the interested public of both Russia and Germany as well as other countries.
Kellog's analysis suffers, however, from an overemphasis of the pro-Slavic tendencies in the German extreme right and an insufficient consideration of the deep roots of the Nazis' rabid anti-Slavism. More generally, Kellog could have considered in more detail rival influences on Nazism such as `scientific racism' or occultism in order to make a better case for his thesis about the `Russian roots' of Nazism. While he, at one point, puts his position on the nature of Nazism close to Ernst Nolte's (p. 199), he, in fact, succeeds in providing arguments against Nolte's assertion that fascism is essentially anti-Marxism. Kellog's many quotes show that the `bolshevik' part in the Nazis' talk about `Jewish Bolshevism' was secondary and that the Nazis instead thought that the bolsheviks were guided by `Jewish finance capitalism' (e.g. p. 226) - thus, oddly, making the Nazi interpretation of communism somewhat similar to the communist interpretation of Nazism.

When one considers for what short period the German Army occupied the Ukraine after the treaty of Brest Litovsk, it is interesting how many White Russian came out with the retreating German Armies.Their prejudices were a remarkable influence on the early Nazi Party in Munich, particularly the ideas engendered by the Protocols of Zion. Until this book Scheubner-Richter had been written off as a body, the only one shot dead, marching alongside Hitler and Ludendorff in the 1923 attemptef Putsch. However it transpires that he was as great an influence on Nazi doctrine as Rosenberg ( normally described as just a Baltic-German Russian , but actually also a White Officer )
Interesting also is the relationship with Wagner clan in Bayreuth , so that the book is complementary to Joachim Kohler's Wagner's Hitler; and that both groups visited Henry Ford in Detroit to seek funds , arising from his anti-semitic attitudes.
Kellogg does not explore the implications that the General Staff in Berlin was seeking a rapprochment with bolshevik Russia at this time .Nor does he assess Ludendorff as a politician.Above all , he does not refect on the confrontation between class-ridden White Russian Officers and the Bohemian Corporal who spent the war in the trenches on the Western Front.
Anyone coming to study this period and phase of the Nazi Party/ Adolf Hitler will have to take note of this book and its importance.
I hope that Michael Kellogg will go on to produce works that follow on this pivotal start.

I had never thought to find the link between German right wing movements and white emigres within Germany and Europe and what impact they had on the future Nazi Party and Hitler. This book was an unexpected find and a pleasant one at that. Not too difficult to read, somewhat repetitive but at the same time this makes it easier to keep track of all the 'characters' that the reader is introduced to. This book gives an excellent analysis on how the white emigres affected Hitler and his party and how without them Hitler might not have turned east or if he did might have done some things quite differently. What surprised me most was that before 1919 Hitler did not really say or write anything anti-semitic, in fact at times he defended Jews and even spoke like a socialist from time to time, which to a degree is less surprising since the Nazi party was a socialist party. I was also interested to learn of the assassination attempts undertaken by these white emigres against both Soviet politicians and German ones as well. Bottom line is that there is a lot of information here put into a context I never thought existed before, the book is expensive but in my opinion worth the money for the input it provides and the new view I now have of how Hitler came about with some of his ideas regarding Jews, Bolsheviks, and the Soviet Union.

I first came across the book when I was in 6th grade. I had never seen the story illustrated or told in such a way before. The memory has haunted me for nearly seven years now. It will be one to share with my own children.

I read the story as a youngster and I never ever forgot this haunting retelling of the classic fairy tale. I am delighted that the book is back in print so my children will be able to enjoy it in the future. The illustrations are breathtaking! Don't pass this one up!

SO many things to love about this book, this version of Snow White. It's not sanitized, the binding on the inside is a two page spread of a glossy ebony tree, against spellbinding white snow and one stain of red blood - every single image is exquisite, I could describe them all poetically.

As usual the young queen bears a girl and dies, the king remarries a "superlatively beautiful queen", who "also had a proud heart and a greedy, jealous temper".

So the story goes on as usual, but is somehow injected with new Excitement! new Pathos.

Although snow white is supremely silly, and the prince falls in love far too easily, the Dwarves are excellently drawn & written.

Instead of being humorous shovel-totting twats they're just stolid kindly woodsmen who grow fond of poor young SW.

The story is retold very nicely and fresh, but it is the paintings that make this book priceless.

Every single page is a peek into an enchanted world, moody romantic & mysterious.

kotori ojadis@yahoo.com

The cover image stopped me in my tracks at the bookstore, and I bought multiple copies. The young woman at the checkout counter was mesmerized by the image as well. The illustrations inside equal or surpass the one on the cover.

The images are detailed but not fussy. They are highly evocative of German Romanticism -- very moody, dreamy, somewhat melancholy, with an emphasis on the grandeur of Nature. If you enjoy the illustrations of Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Arthur Rackham, et al., you will like this book.

Like Barrett's artwork, Poole's text tells the classic tale soberly, including the queen's botched attempts to strangle Snow White with silken laces and prick her with a poison comb. There is also more mention of Snow White's mother and father than in many retellings. This version is certainly more in line with magical/mystical/matriarchal imagery than Disney's.

Some of the images -- e.g., drops of blood -- and the story itself may be too intense for very young readers. For me, this book is a contemporary gem and is worth seeking out.

Wonderful illustrations, of course, but also the story includes the incidents with the poisoned comb and the suffocating bodice ribbons (left out in many editions). A great book for parents looking to replace the Disney-fied version for their children.

If you like this, also check out the same author/illustrator team's collaboration on "Joan of Arc."

The illustrations are beautiful without being frou-frou, serious without being creepy. Highly recommended for ages 4-8.

This is what you would expect a history of any period to be like, but unfortunately few are. Bowen has done a masterful job in explaining what happened, why it happened, who made it happen, and who didn't. Almost every situation is explained as to the political, economic and military impact of what happened as well as thoughts on what different could have been done and what the effect might have been.

By keeping Spain out of direct belligerency, Franco protected Spain for the post-war era. Though his dictatorship was brutal, it was homegrown and homemade (except for the help of the German Air Force-Condor Legion) and for the most part, kept home. With belligerent armies in the millions, and forced labor in the millions; Spain contributed at most seventy thousand troops and workers all told, with fewer than 20,000 at any one time.

If you want to know what happened in Spain during WW2, this is your book.

This is an important new volume, filling a major gap in the recent history of Europe. But in addition to that, it is an engrossing and entertaining read!

For several decades after World War II, historians of the various fascist and semi-fascist movements tended to focus on the leaders, the party structure, international diplomacy, and issues related to the war. Only recently have historians begun to focus on the "little people" who supported these regimes. (This is in stark contrast to the historians of Marxism, who have much more often written about the devotion of the individual party members.)

Franco's regime was a complex one, combining elements of military dictatorship, fascism, and reactionary monarchism. Although Franco succeeded in steering a middle course between these elements, there were many radical members of the Falange who wanted closer ties to Nazi Germany. The motivations behind these people -- mostly young radicals -- have not been explored in any English-language history book until now.

In "Spaniards and Nazi Germany," the author (Wayne Bowen) examines the various individuals who advocated closer ties between Spain and Germany between 1933 and 1945. Germany aided Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War, while the Soviet Union was aiding the Republican forces. When the Civil War ended, many observers expected Spain to become a close ally of Germany. But when Hitler struck a deal with Stalin in 1939, this changed. The Spanish Right had always seen Communism as their greatest foe. So when Hitler and Stalin gleefully carved up Catholic Poland, most of the Spaniards loyal to Franco realized that Hitler's ideology was not at all the same as theirs.

However, radical elements in the Falange refused to break ties with Nazi Germany. Many of them formed Spanish-German friendship groups, and even tried to undermine Franco's control of Spain. Finally, when Hitler double-crossed Stalin and invaded the USSR in June 1941, many young anti-Communist Spaniards volunteered to fight on the Eastern Front. These volunteers of the "Division Azul" ("Blue Division") ended up fighting alongside the Germans between Leningrad and Moscow.

Dr. Bowen does an excellent job of chronicling the activities of the pro-German Spaniards, as well as the controversies surrounding them. On a political level, Franco was trying to steer a course between the neutrality he desired for Spain and his tactical preference for whichever side seemed to be winning the war at any given time; on the other hand, the radical Falange saw politics in terms of the National Socialist "New Order" which they believed was the future of Europe. On an ideological level, most of Franco's supporters respected the Nazi Party's opposition to Communism, but distrusted its radicalism and its neo-paganism; again, this contrasted with the Falangists who saw Nazism as admirable. Even in the face of explicit German disdain for their "Latin allies", many of these radicals persisted in their loyalty to the Nazi ideals.

This is an excellent book which really opens a new chapter in the history of 20th Century Europe.

I enjoyed this book, which is very well documented with lots of footnoes and bibliography. The Nazis come off looking pretty arrogant about Spain, which they thought was at their beck and call. This book has everything a good history should: adventure, war, diplomacy, economics, conspiracies, and unexpected results. Excellent.

I really liked this book! My boyfriend is a real history buff, watching the History Channel all the time and everything, so I wasn't convinced I would enjoy it when he kept pushing me to look at it, but after I started reading Bowen's book, I couldn't put it down. There are a lot of amazing stories in it, like when Spaniards fought to defend Berlin at the end of World War II, and when Franco said "no" to Hitler -- and got away with it! For a history book, it's a pretty fun read!

This is an exciting story about my country's history during the Spanish Civil War and Second World War, when my grandparents endured starvation and political warfare. Professor Bowen has written a very interesting book, finding archives and research materials that no Spanish historian has used, to create this history which reads like a novel. I had no idea so many of my people were enthusiastically pro-Nazi, fighting in the German army, agitating for Spanish entry into the war, and volunteering, even after the war was lost, to help Hitler win. I had heard of the Blue Division, but thought these were soldiers Franco forced to go to Russia, not tens of thousands of volunteers who wanted to fight Stalin. Sometimes Bowen seems to go a little too easy on Franco, who contributed so much to making life difficult in Spain during this period, but I still recommend this book for everyone interested in the Second World War or Spanish history.

I found this book to be interesting because there are many quotes from people who fought in Stalingrad. The brutality of the street fighting section was of particular interest to me. Of other high notes on the book are the chapters of Pavlov's house and a uniqu view of Chuikov. It looks into the mindsets of the troops and is eye opening. It covers a lot but loses some details along the way. From a research point of view, it hurts the rating.

This doesn't read like a normal history book in that column A attacked column B. It is refreshing to read the personal accounts. One cannot help but imagine being there. Paulus is made out to be a [...] which may or may not be deserved. I would not want to be in his shoes to say the least. This book should be read if your into the day to day combat of both German and Soviet forces. It gives a lot of understanding and visualization.

I first visited Stalingrad in 1982, and at the time the veterans of that battle only talked about the war in ways as approved by the party. This is an interesting and important book on one of history's greatest battles because the author has been able to get new and revealing stories from the living survivors without fear of government repercussions. There is a lot of material in here that adds greatly to our body of knowledge about the battle. It also is an interesting study in the role of morale (or lack thereof) on the battlefield.

Unlike too manby books about Stalingrad which only repeat the same old tired tales that have been written many times before (and from the German point of view)this is a new, original, and worthwhile point of view.

Highly recommended.

Former university lecturer and battlefield tour guide Michael K. Jones presents Stalingrad: How the Red Army Survived the German Onslaught, a compelling military history and analysis that lives up to its title. Based heavily upon Jones' extensive interviews with Russian veterans, Stalingrad especially emphasizes the role of psychology - including leadership, morale, and motivation - in turning the tide of war. Of especial interest is the testimony of former deputy commander of the Warsaw Pact, Colonel-General Anatoly Mereshko, who was staff officer to the 62nd Army's commander Chuikov and one of the principal surviving witnesses to historical events. Stalingrad reveals how desperate the defenders truly were, especially when the Germans broke into the city in 1942, painting the city's defense as more than solid tactics, but also a triumph of resolute human spirit. A "further reading" list and an index round out this one-of-a-kind testimony grounded in the words of the people who witnessed history itself.

This is the book that doesn't describe the usual myths about the battle for Stalingrad, instead the author brings newer and more interesting evidence on this struggle. His book includes numerous interviews with other Soviet veterans, with ranks ranging from a private to a high ranking officier. The details on the street battles are really cool with detailed descriptions of key fights, such as the defence of Pavlov's House or the fighting in ruined Red October Factory Complex. The book also includes many maps and very rare photographs, some of them obtained from personal archives of General Chuykov. Overall this is a unique book and I am very satisfied that I read it.

I have eight books on the battle of Stalingrad. Even though this is not the usual combat history concerning the battle, it is one of the most interesting, captivating and thought provoking accounts on the great battle that I have read. Yes, it does focus on the Russian perspective instead of the German (refreshing for a change, thank goodness)! It will be a welcome addition to anyone's collection of the battle of Stalingrad.

Nancy Rexin Evans did a wonderful job in this telling story of her Mother's courage. How brave Cecelia was in saving lives at the risk of losing her own, her strength was amazing, to face death every day and evil , an evil we all wish and hope to never see again, is her testament OF courage. I am of German heritage and it makes me sad to think how horrible all of these people were treated. If not for the love and courage of this brave woman, an entire generation and culture would have disappeared from the face of the earth forever. God Bless you Cecelia, up in Heaven and God Bless your daughter, Nancy, for having the courage to re-live this story so we all may learn a valuable lesson.

My name is Lacey and I am sixteen years old. I just finished reading "Testament to Courage" by Cecelia Rexin, translated by her daughter, Nancy Rexin Evans. Being partially of German descent, I felt a kinship with Cecelia and her strength as with my grandmother, but at the same time ashamed of how people could act like that, being of the same heritage, that could be so evil incarnate and have no regard for human life.       As I was reading this I tried to compare my world with Cecelia's, but nothing could compare. We live in a world today where we can go run to the store for soap, milk, bread, anything your money can buy, go to sleep whenever we want, have decent shoes, socks, clothing, toiletry items and much more. All the while Cecelia worked her hands to the bone, with no food, water and hardly any clothing to save not only her life, but others too. As she described what they wore, where and how they slept, what they didn't eat , it made me feel selfish of what I have and all the petty things I fight amoungest my siblings and others about.               As I was reading one night, I had just gotten home from a friends house and I had gotten something to eat, it was towards the end of the book where things got real bad and 2,000 people are crammed in a box with nothing to eat, drink, and no way to bathe and barely had a restroom ( actually it was a bucket ). I got so sick to my stomach. I stopped eating and started crying, as I felt so bad for these people. I felt as if this was partially my fault being from their descent, but it is not. We take life for granted when "Life" is all that some of these people wanted.

I found the memoirs of Cecilia Rexin to be incredibly moving and inspirational. It is heartwarming to read of the depth of soul, conscience and human dignity that can prevail even in the face of unspeakable evil and horror. It is a must for good people of all faiths and creeds.

testament was a exalant book from point a to point z the book kept u reading it i couldnt put iy down one of the best books i read all year sad, happy, and most of all educating in the terms of the holocaust two thumbs up -mark

This was such an amazing book for me to read. The way the book was written, makes one think that you are right there. I am of german background, but had no idea of what people like ceciele went through. I have read other books on this subject, but none compare to the details of all that people like her wnet through. You feel like you are right there in the same room . This women story needed to be told to educate people and to not let anyone forget, that if we do not guard our freedeom and fight for it, this the holacost could become a reality all over again. This book is a must read.

I doubt that one could find any reliable estimates of the number of Jews who managed to survive the Final Solution by fleeing their homes, moving from country to country, crossing borders illegally, hiding, assuming false identities, relying on the help of strangers, and going without. It must have been at least in the hundreds of thousands; more likely in the millions. Intelligence, physical stamina, and psychological fortitude all increased one's chances of surviving on the run, but luck, good or bad, weighed in again and again and again.
The author was eight years old in 1939, when she and her mother left their home in Breslau, Germany. For the next four years, the two traveled from place to place in Belgium and France. They did not entirely elude the Nazis; at one point, they were held in an internment camp called "Zwartberg" in the Province of Limburg, Belgium. The years of flight were years of fear, anxiety, hunger, and cold. Gerda's memoir of this difficult time is a treasure. It is rich in detail and well-written, but it also something more. Although any semblance of a normal childhood was taken from her, she nevertheless experienced the struggle for survival through the eyes of a child. Here it must be noted that the young Gerda Bierzonski was unusually astute and observant, able to grasp much of what was going on around her and inclined to wonder. She has managed to capture her child's-eye view in the book. She has also succeeded in weaving into the narrative a sufficient amount of general historical information, enabling the reader to place her journey in the proper context.

A childhood spent on the run from Nazis, in Poland, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Italy: what a memoir. It reminds us that even Holocaust survivors who escaped the concentration camps could hardly find a day of rest from the major and the petty harassment visited on them by Nazis. Gerda Bikales seems to have remembered every home or shed that offered her and her mother shelter, and she is generous in thanking those who helped. Remarkable that she is not bitter, but grateful for survival, that she was able to stay with her mother until almost the end, and was reunited with her eventually, and most of all that she was able to enter the United States and make a happy adult life. An amazing book. I recommend it heartily to Amazon's readers.

This is a remarkable true-life account of refugee flight from the Third Reich as seen through the eyes of a precocious young girl. Full of unforgettable characters, it is the amazing story of a mother and daughter's courageous escape across the darkening landscape of World War II Europe. At times more incredible than fiction, this well-written book brings history to life in a way that the reader will never forget. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Gerda Bikales' story of her Jewish childhood in hiding in Hitler's Europe is told with a novelist's feel for scene and character - and terror. It is also authentic. There are no tortures or eyewitness murders to harrow those with little stomach for atrocities. Rather this is a profoundly moving story of the WWII through the half-comprehending eyes of child, a girl aged eight to 12, on the run for her life. Occasionally she grabs snatches of education in different countries and different languages but mostly she lives in hiding, afraid and observing with extraordinary sensitivity. Unlike many stories of this kind this one has a happy ending. If you are used to thinking about political events as semi-abstract movements and isms this book will provide a different perspective.

As one of her acquaintances who has been urging Mrs. Bikales to finish her memoir of a childhood journey through wartime Europe, I am delighted with the result. Her book reads like a thriller as she and her mother move from one place to another to avoid the impositions of Nazi tyranny. There are warm allusions to the importance of family and survival as well as the kindness of strangers, all in the context of innocent childhood thrust into the cauldron of hatred and violence. In these times, when so many would have us suspend memory of the Holocaust by revising history, it is ever more important to have the witnesses share their stories. Gerda Bikales has shared hers, adding to the treasury of important memory. Her writing is exceptional, with the photographs bringing one family's unique existence into focus. Yet, one realizes that this family's history is symbolic of so many more in their various experiences during a tragic and unforgettable time.

First of all Berlin is my new fave city in the world, and I owe it in part to this great book which really made the whole trip very easy... Better than the other couple of books I bought along, and offered great sugestions.

This book is a must have if you are interested in exploring Berlin. It provides the reader with more information than any of the several other guides on the city, both in broad strokes and nuances that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else.

I chose this book from among a dozen others prior to visiting Berlin (and the rest of Germany) this spring. Whereas the Lonely Planet Germany got us around the country, this guide kept us busy in Berlin. It's witty, well written and informative, kind of like the city itself.

Once again Timeout did not disappoint me. I only used this guide while I was in Berlin, and I was able to go and see everything that I wanted to do kein problem. The underground/metro may give you some headaches if you are not familiar with the German system...but I am currently living in Munich, and Berlin's bahn system is much better with only three zones(A, B, C) and the fact that there is an English(No english in Munich) translation means someone knows what they are doing. Some of my personal recommendations in Berlin...Victoria Park in Kreuzberg reminds me of a more peaceful, hardly any tourist Sacre D'Couer in Paris...Reichstag in the evening(go late, but not too late else they will tell you to come back tomorrow...it happened to me), small little red french fry shack on Orangenburger Str...100 to 150 meters on left side(world's greatest fries), and the east side gallery by Ostbahnhof.

Just returned from Berlin and found this book to be invaluable. I had three Berlin guidebooks (all recent) and this was the best. Good and up-to-date recommendations. A no-nonsense approach with good insight and a fresh perspective.

Time Out Copenhagen covers it all, and more. Having read this book before actually going to Copenhagen is the best one can do. You will know exactly what to visit, where to eat and stay, where kids can play, and more. It is refreshingly honest and contains lots of information such as fees, schedules, addresses, maps, pictures. You will read if the place is popular and if the authors think it is worth it, if you get what you paid for, etc. Best book I bought on the matter. The book is organized in a way that makes it is hard to put down too. Highly recommended.

I really appreciated the layout of this book by topic (i.e. Where to Stay, Sightseeing, Eat-Drink-Shop, Arts & Entertainment, etc.). Although this may make it a better bet for those planning ahead well in advance instead of dropping into Denmark, it is a perfect companion to Denmark (DK Eyewitness Travel Guides), which is laid out mainly by region.

I recently went to Copenhagen in mid-July 2004, and this was my first time there. I didn't know anything about the place and I needed to find good information about accommodation, restaurants, and transportation. This Time Out Copenhagen Guide book was truly informative and accurate. I stayed in a hotel mentioned in the book and it was great (lovely romantic rooms). I tried one of the restaurants recommended and that was wonderful too (great food, lovely atmosphere). Other witty and funny information about the history, famous/not-so famous Danish people, etc., in the Guide helps me to understand the city and locals more. I am really pleased with this guide book. I have ordered many guide book in the past (e.g. EyeWitness Guides) and I find Time Out Guides to be better in comparison. The information about the hotel accommodations, restaurants, etc., are spot-on, uptodate, and very useful. I will definitely buy more Time Out Guides for other cities in the future. I really recommend Time Out Guide book to anyone who are deciding on which Guides to buy.

Before going to Copenhagen, I purchased several guides...this is the one I used. Covers the usual castle, museum stuff but excels in the less usual stuff like club-life, small restaurants (try Ban-Gaw for Thai food and watch the human traffic on in the tacky old sex district of Istedgade),....prices are up-to-date, good info on train travel, good section on nearby Malmo.Lots of opinions...mostly right on. Could use a better map.

An excellent guide. I was familiar with Copenhagen as a student 10 years ago and this book helped me right back into step. The general feel is spot-on and it's written for a more adventurous traveler than one just off the cruise ship. The book is irrepressibly positive, and perhaps overstates the charm and style of some sites - just like a guide book usually does. I thought the maps to be good, and they thoroughly cross-reference the entries. The addresses and hours seem to be correct. Copenhagen is an underrated European city; virtually untouched by the past ravages of war and living very much in the present day. If you're destination shopping, the city rates an 8+, and so does the guide. Bring, rent or buy a bicycle if you really want to go local.